In sports, one person's greed is another person's sound business decision. So, while avarice may determine how many top-tier sports events move to cable, making money generally is not a crime. A harbinger of where the balance lies for rights holders could come as the NBA negotiates its next TV contract, where ESPN and Turner are the incumbents.» 0 Comments
CBS CEO Leslie Moonves says he's not losing sleep over Aereo. But DirecTV could bring some restless nights with the amount of money it could ultimately deny broadcasters. The satellite operator's CFO Patrick Doyle said this week DirecTV has a fully legal way to avoid paying carriage costs for local stations. Broadcasters - including the Big Four networks -- are banking on those retransmission consent payments to provide a robust dual-revenue stream. And DirecTV accounts for a lot of their cash with its 20 million subscribers.» 2 Comments
Research has been a staple of upfront presentations for a long time. Network executives might tout how their ratings are soaring among beer-drinking men ages 25 to 54. Or, cite data about how viewers stayed tuned to the programming longer at 10 p.m. than competitors. That type of spin is still around. But in a sign of how much advertiser hunger to demonstrate ROI has increased, research in many forms seems to be increasingly finding its way into the presentations.» 0 Comments
It will be interesting how many ABC upfront deals resemble what the network pitched heavily Tuesday in its upfront presentation. ABC sales chief Geri Wang sought to portray the network as a pioneer in cross-platform ad buys. Smartly, she acknowledged that the network is prepared to find sturdy measurement that combines viewing across TV, tablets, etc.» 0 Comments
For advertisers, is there really a reason to attend an upfront presentation like the one NBC put on Monday? No and yes. It's hard to make a case from a business standpoint. Using NBC as an example, though, it's a relaxing way to spend a couple of hours. And, a chance to soak in the nostalgia makes it worth it.» 0 Comments
NBC's Ted Harbert offered one of the more memorable performances at an upfront presentation a year ago. No, he didn't sing or dance to get attendees excited about a show. He postured. If upfront events are about luring advertisers, the NBC broadcasting chief surely turned a lot of them off from the start.» 0 Comments
TV viewing may be increasing on a national basis, but that's hardly the rule in major markets. By one metric, Nielsen data shows about half saw viewing declines in February, including one by an average of nearly 40 minutes a day.» 1 Comments
Months after Time Warner Cable stopped carrying Ovation, the network still has a highly visible plea on its Web page asking for help in getting the cable operator to bring it back. A Los Angeles Times columnist spoke with Ovation COO Chad Gutstein, who indicated the arts channel is at the mercy of distributors because it's not part of a major media company. He's right. If Ovation were owned by News Corp. or NBCU, Time Warner Cable (TWC) subscribers would still have access.» 0 Comments
Cable networks are filling much of Manhattan's blank space with ads seeking upfront dollars. But a pitch in Monday's Wall Street Journal seemed to pop more than any of them. In a full-page ad, magazine publisher Meredith offered "ROI Guaranteed" in bold type.» 0 Comments
Netflix or Amazon may produce some original hits, but upend the traditional TV production model? The advertising mogul and TV commentator Donny Deutsch argued that vigorously on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in an appearance with the masterminds behind "Alpha House," the Amazon political comedy that started to come together last year. Yet it's tough to accuse Deutsch of going overboard. Broadcast networks aren't going anywhere and cable channels are producing some of the best dramas ever.» 1 Comments
